Tag Archives: positivity

As much as we’d like it to, life is never going to slow down. It seems as though life even tends to speed up the older we get. When we’re children, responsibilities are typically limited. Of course, this can be drastically different for some, but the only real worry for a lot of children is finding the next game to play and having fun. I can remember the school days and years moving by a bit slower then than they do now.

As we grow older, the responsibilities start to pile up. We go to school and take jobs to better ourselves and provide for our families. We enter new relationships and start families of our own. We exercise and have hobbies to express our creative side and help us relax. We have good days and bad. Sometimes the stress starts to creep in and an overwhelming feeling of pressure develops, affecting not only us but our loved ones around us. We regret things and tell ourselves we will change. Whether we actually do or not depends on how dedicated we are to really changing our lives and the ways we react to the things that happen to us.

At the end of the day, this is life. Life is made up of these “things,” with our reactions to these “things” determining how successful we will be. You’re not alone because plenty of people out there are going through something very similar, although that seems hard to imagine sometimes. Someone out there is going through something similar and is struggling with it, just as you may be. Someone out there is also going through something similar, but has accepted and made their peace with it, and is moving on with a positive attitude to the next “thing” in their life. It’s important to remember that the stress we feel every so often, or even everyday, is something that everyone else in the world is feeling as well. In order to succeed and live a happy life, being able to accept our “things” and find peace is essential.

Clearly, this blog is a vessel used to do just this. For you, it may be going for a walk with your dog. It may be reading or writing. It can be anything, but it must be something you find yourself. Thinking about the “things” going on in your life and how you’ve dealt with them is step one on a long journey.

It’s not something that everyone has. I suppose whether a person has it or not is determined by the environment that person comes from. Maybe it comes from this environment, plus a collection of experiences, relationships and situations that result from living one’s life. It seems to me that it all has to start at home. We’re all born as a clean slate. From day 1, it’s the love that our parents, siblings and family show us that leads us to think something of ourselves. To think that we should be loved and that we deserve it. To think that how we feel, the things we do, the things we accomplish…it all matters.

I have been blessed to come from a close-knit home with loving parents and a great older brother. This has led me to think something of myself, but it has also led me to be able to realize that not everyone out there is as fortunate. It’s easy to see the results of being raised in a loving home and also the results of being raised in a home that was not as loving. It may lead to doubts, may lead to stressful relationships, maybe even trust issues. It may lead to a lot of things…

But as long as you want to make yourself better, you can. No matter where you came from. No matter who your parents were or what your home was like. As you move through life, make a point to learn everything you can about the world and about yourself. Open your eyes to everything around you and turn the smallest things into lessons to improve yourself. This will hopefully lead to a high self esteem, and the realization that you matter. After you love yourself, it will be possible for others to love you as well.

One person we all know that does not have any self esteem issues is Kanye West. I’ve been a fan of Kanye since I first heard him back in college before College Dropout even came out. I always thought the amount of talent he has is amazing, and I always found that I felt good after listening to his music. It left me in a good mood, feeling positive and motivated…I recently watched a very cool interview with Kanye and Zane Lowe. Sure, he has his moments throughout the interview, but I always find a great message when he speaks. After watching this interview, something Kanye said made me realize why I enjoy his music so much…

I’ve recently had the pleasure of expanding my new family by welcoming a puppy into the fold. I had always wanted a puppy while growing up, but I can see now why my parents may have been a bit hesitant. It’s been about a month now and it’s been no easy task getting this guy up and running. For hardworking parents of two young boys, it certainly would not have been an easy situation given the amount of time and attention a puppy really needs to grow into a respectful and well behaved pup.

The past month has been a great learning experience for my little family. It’s already clear to see that a puppy, just like a baby, is a direct product of their environment. A calm, respectful environment breeds just that. On the other hand, a loud, disrespectful environment will do the same.

When something is done “wrong,” and it is met with anger or frustration, I’ve often seen that the action is repeated again and again. I don’t really know if the reason for this is that my pup doesn’t understand where the anger comes from and what point I’m trying to get across, or if he simply doesn’t like my reaction and feels disobeying me on purpose is more satisfying.

Rather than react this way when not approving of certain actions, I’ve found that reinforcing the positive actions is having a great result. Slowly but surely, the little guy is learning and he’s even becoming more affectionate as we continue to show more love. Simply ignoring, or calmly readjusting the negative and reinforcing the positive is much easier said than done, especially when you have some barking right in your face…but this is not just a helpful tip for raising a dog.

Apply this same theory to other parts of your life. If there are negative things going on in your life, ignore them…they will go away. Why would someone continue to bring negative actions around you if you simply don’t care and don’t react to their actions? They probably won’t waste their time and they’ll move on to the next person that will show them some attention. If it’s not possible to completely ignore, calmly readjust the negative actions. Try to meet every negative with some kind of positive. This will cancel out the negative and eventually, win it over.

This theory can be applied to so many things in life. Work, relationships, health, creativity, productivity, whatever it may be…think back to the simple lesson of raising a puppy. Embrace the positive things in your life and you’ll see things get better and better. Just expect a few accidents on the floor or some barking along the way…